UAS Traffic Management (UTM) Concept of Operations to Safely Enable Low Altitude Flight Operations

Prevot, T., Rios, J., Kopardekar, P., Robinson, J. E., III, Johnson, M., & Jung, J. · 2016

full-text

This conference paper states NASA’s UAS Traffic Management idea as a concept of operations for many aircraft at low altitude. Crossref lists Prevot first and Kopardekar as a co-author. It is shelved as a primary concept paper for UTM. A concept is not an operating approval.

It sketches a framework for large-scale low-altitude operations, both visual and beyond visual line of sight. The principles are flexibility where possible, structure where necessary, and performance requirements set by geography and use in a risk-based way. Early stakeholder reaction and NASA’s early tests are described as a preliminary indication that the direction is promising.

The concept is from 2016. It does not replace current FAA, EASA, or MLIT procedures. The tests cannot be read as having finished the safety case. This card organizes the citation and the concept; it is not a fresh full-text reading.